Top 5 Tips for Interacting with an OSHA Inspector

When an OSHA inspector comes knocking, get off on the right foot with these 5 steps:

Greet the officer cordially, but ask to see the individuals credentials right away if he or she does not immediately present them. Be sure to verify them by calling the nearest federal or state OSHA office.

Notify your designated inspection team of OSHAs arrival and gather them for an opening conference with the compliance officer. You have the right to know why the inspector is visiting your facility, so if he or she does not specify, be sure to politely ask. Also, establish whether the inspection is to cover the entire facility or only the areas involving a particular complaint.

Show only the sections of the facility that the officer came to inspect. Be aware that if an officer sees a violation of OSHA standards in open view, he can legally expand the inspection beyond the previously established boundaries.

Correct any apparent violations detected by the officer immediately and on the spot. The officer will record this and take your good faith actions into account when assessing citations and fines.

Note all of the inspector's observations and take photos of the alleged violations. Do not argue with the officer on-site as to whether something is in violation of OSHA standards.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jay Shelton

Jay Shelton is the Senior Vice President of Executive Risk at Assurance. With nearly 20 years of experience in the risk management experience, Jay leads the Executive Risk Team which focuses on both publicly traded and privately held Directors & Officers Liability, Errors & Omissions, Cyber, Crime, Employment Practices, Management Liability and other executive management coverages. His main responsibility is to identify and evaluate clients’ exposure and implement programs that will minimize risk. Jay is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from Notre Dame University and Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Indiana University. Jay is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, Professional Liability Underwriter Society (PLUS) and Risk Management Society (RIMS).

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